Railways Bill

Baroness Whitaker Excerpts

2nd reading
Tuesday 7th July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Whitaker (Lab)]

It is instructive to follow the noble Lord, Lord Harper, with his detailed knowledge of the subject, but I have rather more enthusiasm than he does for the Bill. I think this magnificent Bill is what the country has been waiting for. It is one of the key measures from this Government to restore public services to decent standards and sensible structures. The benefits of this comprehensive and simplified system have been well set out by my noble friends and some other speakers, so I will focus briefly on only four aspects.

I am particularly reassured by the Bill’s contribution to reaching net-zero carbon and its general impact on the economy, especially with regard to freight transport. Can my noble friend the Minister say a bit more about the impact that the very welcome targets for rail freight will have on the economy and what the plans for further electrification are? I hope he agrees with me that a rolling programme for electrification would be the cheapest way to achieve the maximum contribution to net zero.

The role of the Passengers’ Council is also very constructive. One of the defects of the pioneering British Rail of earlier times was the lack of a strong route to accountability, and I see this as a strength of the new structure. Much will depend on who is on the council. I can see that disability representation is guaranteed on the actual board of GBR, but can my noble friend say what categories will play a guaranteed part on the council? I make a plea in my own interest for somebody who understands the difficulty that old people have in minding the gap between the train and the platform—ever more perilous. I trust the council’s reports will be published.

Another issue with British Rail, and indeed with all the earlier quasi-monopoly nationalisations, was incentives for efficiency. Oversight of the strategy should encompass this, but how will it be built into the process?

Finally, my last professional involvement with railways, very many years ago, concerned the position of railway employees. The risks that many of them took were covered by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, as were risks to the public from their activity. All employees’ rights still apply, of course, but I think it may be the transport inspectorate which sits within the Office of Rail and Road that enforces them now. What are the liaison arrangements with the Health and Safety Executive under the new regime? How would any prosecutions or enforcement work?

This Bill will steer our railways to the future we need for this essential part of our national life and I am delighted to commend it.